(it's somewhere there, i don't think there's a dot for it, but i hear it's close to Kyoto)
Moriguchi is a city in Osaka Prefecture. apparently, it is the "sister-city" to New Westminster (whatever that means?).
JET preparation seminar was this past Sunday, a full day of speakers/workshops. just basically a good way to start filling in a lot of the blanks i have about this whole ordeal; what it'll be like, what to expect, how to prepare etc, as well as a good way to network/meet ppl who are going/have gone. now i hate this whole "networking/schmoozing" business, this element of the corporate world was a total turn-off for me, but Sunday's meeting was ok i guess. had a reception afterwards @ LK Dining Lounge in Yaletown (free food!).
so i'm finally starting to get a bit more excited about Japan, but at the same time a little more nervous too, as i begin to see all the work/details to be done/sorted out, as well as other non-JET related "odds and ends" that i need to take care of in about a month and a half...oh, and did i mention i'm still working F/T till July 21st? O_o
here's a thought: Theme music
music was always an integral part of life for me, and given that, i'm not surprised to find that in the past i've associated certain events/stages of life w/ songs that convey/express the emotions felt at the time. this is a generalization of course; meaning the certain tone/mood of the song wasn't the way i felt the ENTIRE time i was in a certain place (i.e. i didn't ALWAYS feel happy/sad, melancholic/pumped up), but it does conjure up memorable experiences from when i was there, and anytime i hear that song again it brings my thoughts back to the place where i sorta just decided...y'know what, this fits. kinda like how certain cartoon/movie characters have their theme songs. i'm not saying I have a theme song =P, just that certain chapters/events in my life do. examples:
WATERLOO - 100 Years (Five for Fighting)
i first heard this track sampled while watching Smallville on my laptop, while munching on a delicious homemade meal (par chef Raphael) in my basement apartment @ 395 Hell-hole street during my 2nd year @ UW. i really liked the basic piano melody...just sort of ambling along the way, not rushed, not really going anywhere, just enjoying the scenery.
after obtaining a copy of the song, i would often find myself listening to it as i journeyed through the 'Loo; whether i was walking to/about/from campus, biking through downtown/through the snow alongside the highway, or finding my way home deliriously through the night after a boring night of class...i found the song just...very soothing. it helped me think/meditate on just being there @ UW, soaking up the essence of being a (poor and hungry =P) student.
the emotions/memories from my years @ UW will probably stay w/ me for the rest of my life (barring any future brain injuries/amnesia =P), and whenever i hear that song i'll remember the warm glow of amber street lights reflecting off the cold snow at night, and the crunch of the snow beneath my feet as i walked along...staring at the road ahead as my breath turned to mist before my eyes, floating up into the cool night air:
Hong Kong - Wake me Up When September Ends (Green Day)
this was just one of the handful of english songs i had on rotation w/ me as i set out for HK/China in February of 2005. it was a relatively new song back then (American Idiot had just come out i think), and aside from me being able to connect w/ it b/c i happen to be a September baby (yeah i'm egocentric like that sometimes), i just liked the whole "lonely" mood of the song. even though i was lucky enough to be shown around by family and friends during the trip, being a solitary traveler is kinda nice, esp. at the end of a long/busy day. you learn to treasure your quiet time, use it to reflect and just refresh your mind so you can relax and have energy for the next 24hours.
one of the main places where i stayed was @ Uncle Tyrone's apartment on Eastern HK Island (Sau Kei Wan). the complex was situated on top of some hills, and i loved the fact that in about 5min. i could walk down out of the buildings, through the bus station, hop a fence and there i could find a spot to sit and just chill on the hillside overlooking the sparkling night lights of the city. okokok yes, i know i know; hold the cheese mr. Lee, but seriously...after a long/busy/noisy day, enjoying some fresh air and solitude with the (still) noisy city sounds muffled from my perch on the hillside...that was some much needed mental rest. i'd spend probably about 15-20min. there just sitting, surveying the city lights, and listening to music. it was like i had my own HUGE private balcony. this song stuck w/ me for whatever reason, and it's now come to represent that image/view from that particular perch on the hillside:
so, i wonder what the theme music for this next "episode" in life will be? some hauntingly meditative shakuhachi melody? a mystically exotic koto/shamisen harmony? or maybe an intense, powerful taiko rhythm...? it'll be interesting to see what influences me over there, but i'm sure something will strike a chord (ignore the punjabi).
there is something on my mind, and possibly much to leave behind.
i let it slip...
but, at the least, it's off my
the cat has left the hat.
*random: i've been fighting off the intoxicating smell of nail polish in the office lately. all the ladies seem to think the sunny weather is an appropriate excuse to decorate their toes during the day.
O_o
personally, i prefer to paint mine in the fall.